Runaways Volume 1
Runaways Volume One is an 18 issue collection and start of the "Runaways" Series. All teenagers at some point in their young lives believes their parents are the worst people in the world. Runaways tells the story of a team of six kids who discover their parents are actually a group of supervillians; thus the beginning of an exciting adventure. Synopsis In Pride & Joy, six young friends discover their parents are all secretly super-powered villains! Finding strength in one another, the shocked teens run away from home and straight into the adventure of their lives - vowing to turn the tables on their evil legacy.Runaways Vol. 1: Pride and Joy In Teenage Wasteland, the Runaways find a kindred spirit in a daring young stranger and welcome him into their fold. But will this dashing young man help the teenagers defeat their villainous parents... or tear them apart?Runaways Vol. 2: Teenage Wasteland Plus: who do you send to catch a group of missing, runaway teenage super-heroes? Marvel's original teen runaway crimefighters, Cloak and Dagger, make their first major appearance in years! In The Good Die Young, the world as we know it is about to end, and the Runaways are the only hope to prevent it! Our fledgling teenage heroes have learned how their parents' criminal organization began, and now they must decide how it should end. As the Runaways' epic battle against their evil parents reaches its shocking conclusion, the team's mole stands revealed, and blood must be shed. Which kids will still be standing when the smoke finally clears?Runaways Vol. 2: The Good Die Young Pride and Joy Chapter One "What if you discovered your parents were super-villains? This issue kicks off the Runaways, the critically acclaimed series of a group of teenagers trying to do right where their parents wronged."Runaways (2003) #1 Alex Wilder is playing a MMORPG computer game before being interrupted by his parents, Geoffrey and Catherine Wilder. They ask him to be ready when their party guests arrive to their home in Malibu, California. Every year, the Wilder's hold an annual gathering of the same five families. Alex doesn't understand why they don't do charity events like others in L.A., like holding a celebrity golf tournament and other fun stuff. Catherine tells him that good deeds should be done in secret with no expectation of reward; that is what makes them human. Alex wishes he didn't have to babysit while they hide away in the library. Catherine encourages him that the six of them have been together since they were all in diapers, that they are family and that Alex will entertain them: Gerturde, the whiny yet intelligent daughter of Dale and Stacey Yorke; Karolina, the light-hearted vegan daughter of actors Frank Dean and Leslie Dean; Chase, the rebellious, jock son of Victor and Janet Chase; Molly, timid daughter of Gene and Alice Hayes; and Nico, the goth-like daughter of Robert and Tina Minoru. At the Yorkes residence, 6:01 P.M., Gert complains about how she doesn't want to go and that if Dale and Stacey were so concerned with the poor, they'd let her join the socialist club. They continue to argue and Dale questions if other parents have to deal with this. At the Dean residence, 6:13 P.M., Karolina prepares tempeh fajitas, a vegan dish. Frank and Leslie are in complete harmony with one another and muse that they are the only happy couple in Hollywood. Karolina corrects them that they are the only happy couple in California. At the Stein residence, 6:22 P.M., Victor punches Chase in the mouth for back-talking him and for think that straight C's are funny. Victor doesn't want him to be a 'cliche' -just another dumb jock and threatens to pull him from the lacrosse team. At the Hayes residence, 6:37 P.M., Molly wants to discuss her body because there's all this "gross stuff happening" and Alice suggested to talk to her father, considering he's an actual doctor. Gene suggest that together as a family, they'll talk after the party. At the Minoru residence, 6:49 P.M., Robert demands that they are not going to be late and beckons Nico who is still getting ready. As the families arrive at the Wilder's home, 7:25 P.M., and mingle in the front-room, the parents head off to the library while they send their children off into the game room. Eventually, at 8:46 P.M., boredom ensues. Alex suggests that they try to amuse themselves for at least another hour; he wants to spy on their parents. Months prior, Alex shares that he's discovered a series of secret passages, established by his father, when looking for Christmas presents. Gert's not really interested in watching their parents argue about deductibles; Nico wonders what they are like behind closed doors. Karolina's game if Nico's in and Chase ignores then, opting for a possible game of spin the bottle. Down the corridors they go, 9:15 P.M., they come to a a two-way mirror overlooking the library, the kids discover their parents dressed up in various wardrobes; they believe their parents to be secret superheroes, known collectively as "The Pride". However, as they watch, Catherine Wilder escorts a young woman into the room and as they briefly argue, the on-looking children begin to question their parents actions among themselves. Alice and Gene restrain the girl and Geoffrey questions the readiness of the Steins' device; they are ready if he is. Geoffrey gives the floor to Mr. Minoru and he begins to chant from an ancient text. With everything in place, Geoffrey thrusts a blade into the woman's stomach, stating that she is helping to forge a better tomorrow for their children. Before the meeting can continue, the Pride detects a noise from behind the mirror where the children are located. Alex covers Nico's mouth, but it's too late, the Pride has been alerted of their presence. Chapter Two "After discovering that their parents are super-villians, the Runaways make their escape to make sense of it all...but they end up making an even more startling discovery."Runaways (2003) #2 A young women has just been killed by the Pride and a noise, better yet a scream, is heard. Nico, Alex, Chase, and Gert spy upon their parents through a two-way mirror through a secret passage, the catacombs within the Wilder residence. The Pride immediately take notice; they wonder if they've been made by someone and Geoffrey instructs Frank and Leslie to sweep the tunnels for rats. Alice offers that it's like just "psychic residue from the sacrifice". Geoffrey takes no chances; he sends Catherine to check on the children. The rest of the Pride worry over the possibility that the children had been exposed to what they had done. Frank mentions that they were to find out sooner or later. Stacey argues that they weren't supposed to find our until they're eighteen. Tina Minoru supports this claim, saying that it's what the "Abstract dictates". Catherine Wilder storms up the stairs to the game room, hearing a commotion, she bursts through the door, alarmed. Relived, she finds the children were just playing a game of Twister. She informs the children they are almost finished with the last draft of the new fundraising charter and departs from the game room. As she leaves, the children let go of the ruse. Karolina demands to be informed of what she missed and Alex asks Gert to take Molly to the bathroom. Gert suggests that she stay, that she's just involved as the rest of them are, that she deserves to know her parents are evil. With Molly believing they are whispering about sex, Gert takes her to the bathroom to let the others fill Karolina in. Chase bluntly states that Alex's dad stabbed an innocent girl and Alex reminds him that all their parents were there; their parents are super-villains. Alex suggests that they try to take their parents out, to stop them; Chase disagrees. The discussion ends when the parents arrive. Dale requests two of Gert strapping male friends to give him a hand by taking a trunk to their care. Alex volunteers Nico and himself to help with the task. Outside, Alex suggest that they all go him and act as if nothing happened so that their parents don't get suspicious then, later that night, they would meet up again to figure out what to do next. In the early hours of the morning, 1:03 A.M., at the Griffith Observatory, they all meet up, with the exception of Molly, who still doesn't know the truth. Karolina is still having a hard time processing what she's been told, that all their parents have been living double lives and lying to them. Nico questions what they should do next; Alex believes that they should call the Los Angeles Police Department and report the murder; Gert supports Alex. Karolina is worried that if they really didn't do it, then it could still ruin their parents lives; Chase believes it to be some kind of "lame performance". With a two-two split, Nico becomes the tiebreaker. Thinking about the girl, Nico decides they should make the call. At the Los Angeles Police Department, Douglas the homicide cop on duty answers the call. Alex attempts to explain the murder, that their parent murdered a young girl and are apart of this group, The Pride. He explains that they are "dark wizards" and "mad scientists" but Douglas doesn't believe him and refers him to the Avengers hotline and hangs up on Alex. Nico suggests that they will need evidence; the body of the dead girl. Gert believes it to still be hidden at the Yorke residence; they arrive at 2:43 A.M. At the Yorke's home, the children explore the basement and Karolina discovers a hidden keypad behind a painting. Nico notices that a few numbers were smudged and that the password is derived from the numbers "three", "four", and "seven"; Alex believes the password is "Pride". Despite initial skepticism from the others, Nico inputs the code. With the password entered, a secret wall opens, revealing a large, angry dinosaur. Chapter Three "The Runaways discover...a dinosaur!? What have their parents been keeping from the Runaways?!"Runaways (2003) #3 It's 2:49 A.M. at the Yorkes residence and the runaways are confronted with a very large, angry lizard; a velociraptor, to be specific. Alex immediately commands them all to freeze, that they can only sense motion. The dinosaur moves towards Karolina and Chase is determined to prove that it's not real, that it's CGI. Chase cracks a lamp over the dinosaur's face, enraging it; it lunges at Chase, ready to kill. Gert, unable to do anything else, screams for it to stop. The dinosaur stops, as if it's listening to her; Gert commands her to heel, again, the dinosaur follows her command. With all the commotion, Alex is worried about waking the Yorkes. Gert denies that they'll wake, that they sleep like the dead, however, in that moment, the Yorkes, in their Pride outfits, appear behind them and address Gert. Alex attempts to hold them off while the others run, but he quickly discovers they are holograms. Dale addresses Gert, that if she's watching this then that means they are probably dead. Gertrude is shocked at what's unfolding before her. Stacey goes on say that they hoped they were able to get her the secret code before they died; Dale, ironically, states that of course they did, that she wouldn't just find it accidentally. They explain that, by now, she should already met her "pet" and that it won't bit unless there is someone she wants it to bite. They go on to say that they've traveled to the 87 century and had the dinosaur commissioned and that she's been genetically engineered to respond only to Gert's mental command. The dinosaur is meant to protect her from the "self-righteous do-gooder" that managed to kill them. In the secret passage, they also reveal a book, the Abstract, the sacred text that guides the Pride and its members. Gert retrieves the Abstract but it's in a coded text and that it will begin to make sense, once deciphered. Upon their deaths, the Deans would have given her the decoder ring when she turned eighteen, though Gert and the others have found it earlier; three years too early. Stacey advises for Gert to seek out the Pride, those that are left, anyways, that they are her family now. With more questions than answers, Alex still needs the "smoking gun" to put away their parents, that Time Travelers and raptors aren't enough. Nico then suggests that the book holds all their secrets, all they have to do is decipher it, which they'll get the key at karolina's house. With the decision made, they make a move towards Karolina's house. Gert, unfortunately, has to put the dinosaur back in the secret passage, that the five of them are conspicuous enough without traveling alongside a dinosaur. Traveling down the Ventura Freeway at 3:38 A.M., Alex and Chase talk. He's worried that their parents are severely screwed up and if they keep nosing around, they will all end up like the girl they killed. Chase mentions how he's found a cool place, a place they can all go to that's abandoned so that they can lay low. Alex disagrees, in part; it's never going to just blow over, Alex believes it's up to them to reveal the truth. They start to argue, but Karolina interrupts them, she tells them that her place will be safe because her parent's aren't even home; they're in New York. Gert sits in the back of the van with Nico, who's attempting to read the Abstract, though she's not having any luck. Gert's quiet, thinking about Orwell, her Vietnamese pot-bellied pig. She recalls that a few years ago, he disappeared after she left the backyard to answer the telephone. She tells Nico that her parent's told her that she left the gate open but she believed something different, that they went "Lord of the Flies" on him and ever since that moment has never trusted her parents. Nearly thirty minutes later, 4:14 A.M., they arrive at the Dean residence. They split up and search the house, but ultimately do not find what their looking for. Instead, Chase finds the Dean's Last Will and Testament; on the last page of the Will is a picture, a Caduceus with a circle-backslash. This leads Karolina to her medical alert bracelet which has the same Caduceus on it. Nico wonders if her parents were trying to tell her not to wear it but Karolina's apprehensive about it; she's been wearing it since she's four and was warned never to remove it. She was made to believe that she was deathly allergic to penicillin. Desperate to prove that her parents are good, Karolina breaks off her bracelet. In a flash of light, Karolina erupts in vibrant colors; Chase describes her as burning painting and an angel. Karolina is terrified and urges them to move away from her. Gert wonders if she's a mutant but Nico believes she's too old to just become one now. Ales recalls his parents mentioning something about Karolina's parents dealing with their "off-world" enemies; they propose that she's an alien and that her bracelet inhibits her powers. She expresses that she wished she had never learned of these dark secrets and in a rage, she begins to float into the air; she discovers that she can fly. Meanwhile, 4:19 A.M. at the Parker Center, Headquarters of the Los Angeles Police Department. Detective Flores questions Douglas about his crank-call he received earlier. Douglas elaborates that the kids tried to convince him that their parents were evil and they called themselves the "Pride". Flores gives Douglas the rest of the night off. Moments later, 4:21 A.M., Flores calls Geoffrey Wilder, waking him and Catherine. Flores questions Geoffrey, "do you know where your children are?" He believes that they have a problem. Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Teenage Wasteland Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Lost and Found, Part One of Two Lost and Found, Part Two of Two The Good Die Young Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Eighteen References Category:Comics